Background: Validation is lacking for two- and three-dimensional (2D and 3D) bifurcation quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) algorithms. Methods: Six plexiglas phantoms were designed, each of them mimicking a coronary vessel with three successive bifurcations lesions, wherein at least one vessel segment had a percent diameter stenosis (DS) of ≥60%. The ...

Patients with atheromatous plaques of the thoracic aorta undergoing coronary angiography are subjected to a substantial risk of catheter-related stroke or peripheral embolism. We describe a 49-year-old male patient with class III angina symptoms and extensive aortic plaque burden referred for coronary computed tomography angiography due to a high risk ...

Three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound imaging is a new technique that maximizes the information and image quality of traditional 2-dimensional (2D) B-mode scanning. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of the 3D ultrasound technique to characterize ulcerated atherosclerotic carotid plaque. Using conventional 2D ultrasound, we examined 284 carotid ...

Varicella-zoster virus can cause neurological disease in primary and reactivated latent forms, with a wide spectrum of disorders throughout a person's lifetime. 35-year-old male with AIDS; histoplasmosis; mild, intermittent asthma; and hypertension presented to hospital with left-sided weakness and slurred speech. Exam showed left hemiparesis with left upper motor neurons ...

Transient cortical blindness after coronary angiography is a rarely encountered, rapidly progressive complication with complete return of vision within hours to up to five days.. Patients at risk include those undergoing coronary artery bypass graft study and those with renal failure. Although, the exact mechanism is not clear, the most ...

We report a patient who presented with transient cortical blindness 12 hours after completion of a thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair. Computed tomography of the brain demonstrated no acute findings. The patient's symptoms resolved spontaneously after 72 hours. To our knowledge, this is the first report of transient cortical blindness after ...

acute ischemic stroke (AIS) may occur both in the acute and chronic internal carotid artery occlusion (ICAo). Thus, it is important to assess the ICAo character when considering the recanalization method. The aim was to assess the agreement between the ultrasonographic (US) and perioperative macroscopic (PM) finding in AIS patients ...

Microembolization continues to be a major risk for patients undergoing carotid artery stenting (CAS) of high-grade atherosclerotic carotid stenoses. Further insight into the characteristics and significance of these embolized particles was deemed necessary. We aimed to assess the size and composition of debris captured by filters during CAS and to ...

there is an overlap between stroke and coronary heart disease, but the exact prevalence of coronary artery disease in patients with nonfatal cerebral infarction is unclear, particularly when there is no known history of coronary heart disease. we consecutively enrolled 405 patients presenting with acute cerebral infarction documented by neuroimaging ...

Porphyromonas gingivalis was recently shown to cause intimal hyperplasia in a mouse model by a novel cholesterol-independent mechanism, suggesting to be a pathogen-specific feature of cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to characterize the clinical and histopathological features of aortic aneurysms in cardiovascular disease patients harboring oral P. ...

It remains unclear whether atherosclerosis in one vascular bed progresses in parallel with that in other vascular beds. We investigated serial changes in vessel wall areas (VWAs) in various vessels over 2 years of follow-up. Vessel wall areas in the thoracic descending aorta (TDA), common carotid artery (CCA), right (RCA), and ...

We examined the association of aortic valve calcification (AVC) and mitral annular calcification (MAC) to coronary atherosclerosis using 64-multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). Valvular calcification is considered a manifestation of atherosclerosis. The impact of multiple heart valve calcium deposits on the distribution and characteristics of coronary plaque is unknown. We evaluated ...

In this study, we aimed to evaluate whether serum uric acid (UA) was associated with the severity and morphology of coronary atherosclerotic plaques (CAP) shown by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). The study population consisted of 982 patients (58% men) who underwent dual-source 64 slice MDCT for the assessment of coronary ...

Enzymatic degradation of the extracellular matrix is known to be powerful regulator of atherosclerosis. However, little is known about the enzymatic regulation of heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) during the formation and progression of atherosclerotic plaques. Swine were rendered diabetic through streptozotocin injection and hyperlipidemic through a high fat diet. Arterial ...

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been applied in the treatment of artery restenosis following balloon injury. This study aimed to detect the accumulation of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-derived protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) in inflamed atherosclerotic plaque in rabbit model and evaluate the efficacy of PDT. The inflamed atherosclerotic plaque in the common carotid ...

In this study the presence of periodontopathic pathogens in atheromatous plaques removed from coronary arteries of patients with chronic periodontitis and periodontally healthy subjects by PCR was detected. Our results indicate a significant association between the presence of Porphyromonas gingivalis and atheromas, and the periodontal bacteria in oral biofilm may ...

Aortic arch (AA) atheroma is a common source of artery-to-artery embolism. Identification of AA atherosclerotic disease is an important component of the embolic stroke workup. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is the gold standard for AA evaluation, but it has associated risks and is not always readily available. Computed tomography angiography (CTA) ...

Currently, there are no available methods that can reliably predict when or if an atheroma will rupture. Recent reports suggest cholesterol crystals (CCs), present within the necrotic core, are sharp and can penetrate and disrupt the fibrous cap, contributing to plaque rupture. Our aim is to show CC, normally distributed ...

Rationale Lipid accumulation in arteries is the hallmark of atherosclerosis. Yet, a comparative lipid analysis of human plaques using state-of-the-art mass spectrometry techniques has not been performed. Methods and results Comparative lipid profiling of radial arteries and carotid endarterectomies was performed by ultra performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Lipid species ...

Positive arterial remodeling and thin fibrous cap are characteristics of rupture-prone or vulnerable plaque. The natural course of the fibrous cap thickness and the relationship between serial arterial remodeling and changes in fibrous cap thickness are unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between changes ...

Inflammation plays a key role in atherosclerosis and plaque vulnerability, and monocyte/macrophage activation contributes to these processes. Neopterin, a by-product of the guanosine triphosphate pathway, is produced by activated macrophages on stimulation with interferon-γ released from T lymphocytes, and is an activation marker for monocytes/macrophages. Coronary angiographic studies have shown ...

Coronary artery disease is the major cause of death in the western world. The formation and rapid progression of atheromatous plaques can lead to serious cardiovascular events in patients with atherosclerosis. The better understanding, in recent years, of the mechanisms leading to atheromatous plaque growth and disruption and the availability ...

To investigate tissue characteristics of atherosclerotic plaques in coronary artery bifurcations. Using a global virtual histology registry, geometric and compositional characteristics of plaque in three segments (proximal, distal, and at the bifurcation) of coronary bifurcation sites were analysed with intravascular ultrasound radiofrequency data (RFD) analysis. A total of 256 bifurcation ...

Patients treated with anti-VEGF agents are at increased risk for arterial thrombo-embolic events (ATEs). However, the pathophysiology of such acute vascular complications remains unclear. We report on a case of bowel infarction in a renal cancer patient treated with the anti-VEGF agent sunitinib. An abdominal CT-scan evidenced the rupture of ...

Previous studies have investigated the predictive value of clinical and morphologic parameters for distal embolization during carotid interventions. The composition of the atherosclerotic plaque, using virtual histology intravascular ultrasound (VH-IVUS) imaging obtained with an IVUS catheter that is advanced through the lesion after a filter has been placed distally, has ...

previous studies have shown that the presence of stenosis alone on multislice computed tomography (MSCT) has a limited positive predictive value for the presence of ischemia on myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). The purpose of this study was to assess which variables of atherosclerosis on MSCT angiography are related to ischemia ...

The management of patients with asymptomatic carotid disease is currently under debate and new methods are warranted for better risk stratification. The role of the biomechanical properties of the atherosclerotic arterial wall together with the effect of different stress types in plaque destabilisation has only been recently investigated. PubMed and ...

Cerebral infarcts distal to carotid stenoses are thought to be caused by emboli from inflamed, destabilized plaques. We hypothesized that microembolic signals (MES) on transcranial Doppler will be associated with carotid plaque inflammation on (18)F fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography (FDG PET) in recently symptomatic patients. Sixteen patients presenting with recent (47 ...

Regional differences in shear stress have been identified as reason for early plaque formation in vessel bifurcations. We aimed to investigate regional plaque morphology and composition using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and virtual histology (IVUS-VH) in coronary artery bifurcations. We performed IVUS and IVUS-VH studies at coronary bifurcations to analyze segmental ...

Advanced atherosclerosis, through thrombosis, leads to ischemic heart disease and ischemic stroke, the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Advanced atherosclerosis and imaging of atherosclerosis are the focus of this dissertation with particular emphasis on the vulnerable plaque and vulnerable plaque detection. Aspects of advanced atherosclerosis and the vulnerable ...

Cardiac CT scan has emerged from a research tool to a widely used clinical modality in the diagnostic management of coronary artery disease. Based on evidence of numerous clinical studies coronary CT angiography (cCTA) has emerged as a fast, accurate, and noninvasive alternative to conventional angiography in selected patient populations. ...

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mechanism of luminal gain with a novel atheroablation system (Pathway PV) for the treatment of peripheral artery disease using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). METHODS: The atherectomy system is a rotational atherectomy device, which employs expandable rotating blades with ports that allow ...

We aimed at evaluating the prevalence and CT characteristics of occult coronary artery disease (CAD) in young Korean adults under 40 years of age by performing coronary CT angiography (CCTA). We retrospectively enrolled 112 consecutive asymptomatic subjects (90 men, mean age: 35.6 +/- 3.7 years) who underwent CCTA as part ...

Mobile plaque is associated with increased risk of ischemic stroke, but definitions have remained unclear. We have previously reported that carotid ultrasonography can detect the mobile component of the carotid plaque surface, which rises and falls in a manner inconsistent with arterial pulsatile wall motion (Jellyfish sign). However, clinical and ...

Given the uncertainty regarding the relationship of C-reactive protein (CRP) and homocysteine (Hcy) to atherosclerotic burden, our aim was to determine whether CRP and Hcy are related to the presence of subclinical coronary plaque and stenosis. We did a cross-sectional analysis of data gathered on 1248 consecutive, newly self-referred, middle-aged ...

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an optical analogue of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), which provides high-resolution images of the coronary arteries up to 10microm. OCT allows us to demonstrate clearly culprit lesion morphologies in detail including types of plaque, plaque disruption, thrombus, fibrous cap thickness, and the frequency of thin-capped fibroatheroma ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Pontine infarction is most often related to basilar artery atherosclerosis when the lesion abuts on the basal surface (paramedian pontine infarction), whereas small medial pontine lesion is usually attributed to small vessel lipohyalinosis. A previous study has found that high-resolution MRI can detect basilar atherosclerotic plaques in ...

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the predictive value of histologic plaque characteristics for the occurrence of restenosis after femoral artery endarterectomy. BACKGROUND: It would be advantageous if patients at increased risk for restenosis after arterial endarterectomy could be identified by histologic characteristics of the dissected plaque. Differences in atherosclerotic plaque composition ...

It is generally believed that the coronary occlusion occurs at the site of plaque disruption in acute coronary syndromes. An exceptional mechanism of coronary occlusion, namely a streamer-like thrombus (SLT) originating in a nonstenotic lesion extended distally to obstruct a just distal nondisrupted stenotic segment, was found by angioscopy in ...

INTRODUCTION: Multidetector computed tomographic angiography (MDCTA) has emerged as a promising noninvasive tool to rule out significant coronary artery disease (CAD). In addition, MDCTA also provides additional information about atherosclerotic plaque composition. In this study, we aim to assess whether differences in plaque composition exist across patients with varying degree ...

Previous studies have shown that increased levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) predict cardiovascular events, including stroke, myocardial infarction and death from cardiovascular causes. Previous studies have also shown that increased levels of CRP are strong predictors of the progression of pre-existing carotid artery plaques. However, whether CRP is involved in ...

Large aortic arch plaques are associated with ischemic stroke. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) is a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis and a strong predictor of cardiovascular disease and stroke. The association between CIMT and aortic arch plaques has been studied in patients with strokes, but not in the general population. The ...

We investigated the association between atherosclerosis of the thoracic aorta and the severity and extent of coronary atherosclerosis detected by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) coronary angiography. In 122 patients, atherosclerotic plaque was scored from 0 to 4 points by the percentage of the luminal surface at the cross-sectional area of ...

Coronary artery disease (CAD) represents the most relevant cause of death and morbidity in the adult population of developed and developing countries. During the last decades, a strong research effort has been performed to identify more selective markers and better assess the cardiovascular risk in both primary and secondary prevention. ...

Treatment of carotid artery stenosis by endarterectomy or stenting can significantly reduce stroke risk, but is also associated with surgery related mortality and morbidity. At present it is neither possible to assess whether a carotid plaque will become symptomatic or not, nor to define the time when symptoms will occur. ...

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with accelerated atherosclerosis in the carotid arteries, but little is known about the magnitude of this process in peripheral arteries. Assessing preclinical atherosclerosis in both arterial beds in RA might provide additional prognostic value during risk stratification for primary prevention. Therefore in the present structural ...

Intravascular ultrasound-derived virtual histology (VH IVUS) is used increasingly in clinical research to assess composition and vulnerability of coronary atherosclerotic lesions. However, the ability of VH IVUS to quantify individual plaque components, in particular the size of the destabilizing necrotic core, has never been validated. We tested for correlation between ...

The natural history of heterogeneous atherosclerotic plaques and the role of local hemodynamic factors throughout their development are unknown. We performed a serial study to assess the role of endothelial shear stress (ESS) and vascular remodeling in the natural history of coronary atherosclerosis. Intravascular ultrasound-based 3-dimensional reconstruction of all major ...

AIM: The purpose of this study was to define the in-vitro and in-vivo effects of intracoronary enhancement on the absolute density values of coronary plaques during multislice computed tomography. METHODS: We studied seven ex-vivo left coronary artery specimens surrounded by olive oil and filled with isotonic saline and four solutions ...

The development of imaging techniques for the non-invasive detection of atherosclerosis answered the specific need of identifying vulnerable plaque in asymptomatic patients, verify the presence of atherosclerosis in patients at intermediate risk of coronary artery disease and, lastly, evaluate the results of previous coronary interventions. Coronary computed tomography angiography is ...